Space tourist plans first human mission to Mars for 2018

A man with out-of-this-world dreams is planning to travel to Mars in 2018 as the first human mission on the red planet.

Multimillionaire Dennis Tito calls the adventure “Mission for America,” and seeks to travel with one other person near the planet. Tito does not plan to land on Mars.

According to The Washington Post, the mission would cost about a billion dollars, and many are concerned about where Tito will get the money.

One of Tito’s aerospace industry advisers told The Washington Post, “It’s not nuts. This is possible.”

With current rockets, the mission would take about 500 days to get to Mars and back. Tito does not plan to be one of the people in the rocket and says he would like to send a man and a woman.

Tito’s non-profit, the Inspiration Mars Foundation sent out a press release, stating “This "Mission for America" will generate new knowledge, experience and momentum for the next great era of space exploration. It is intended to encourage all Americans to believe again, in doing the hard things that make our nation great, while inspiring youth through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and motivation."